The following information is provided to assist the reader in understanding technologies disclosed below and the environment in which such technologies may typically be used. The terms used herein are not intended to be limited to any particular narrow interpretation unless clearly stated otherwise in this document. References set forth herein may facilitate understanding of the technologies or the background thereof. The disclosure of all references cited herein are incorporated by reference.
Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) directs the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) to create minimum guidelines “to ensure that buildings, facilities, rail passenger cars, and vehicles are accessible, in terms of architecture and design, transportation, and communication, to individuals with disabilities”. However, the Access Board has only established one guideline concerning ground surfaces, stating that they “shall be stable, firm, and slip resistant”. No guidelines currently exist that relate pathway roughness to pedestrian safety and comfort.
The need for improved pathway regulations continues to grow. Inaccessibility and safety concerns along pedestrian pathways have caused the Access Board to look at the ADA accessibility regulations. A study is being conducted to investigate a correlation between surface roughness of pathways and vibrations and comfort experienced by wheelchair users as they travel over these surfaces. The Access Board will likely publish the Public Rights of Way Guidelines (PROWAG) in 2014 concerning pathway cross slope, running slope, and level change, with a preamble concerning roughness. These ADA regulations are generally accepted as law. However, once the Department of Transportation and/or the Department of Justice accept these regulations, they will become enforceable law. Therefore, cities, municipalities, and property management entities will be required to maintain their pedestrian pathways up to a specific standard, or they will face penalties.
Inertial based systems for determining roughness in roadway have been developed, but are difficult to use in connection with surfaces used by pedestrians and personal mobility devices. Such systems are relatively large and must be moved at a relatively fast rate to minimize the effects of suspension elements, reduce errors and provide analyzable data. Complex algorithms are also required in such system to, for example, account for suspension motion. These sizable, fast moving systems based on inertial measurement systems present a substantial safety risk to normal pedestrian traffic and an extreme safety risk to individuals with disabilities.